The invention relates to a network archiver system for storing a data file into an archiver (library) arranged on a network to which a plurality of computers are connected and referring to such a data file. More particularly, the invention relates to a network archiver system for compressing a data file, storing the compressed data file into an archiver, reconstructing the compression data file, and referring to such a data file, and also relates to a storage medium in which a program to construct the network archiver system has been stored.
In recent years, as a computer network in an enterprise, network functions such as a database process, a transaction process, and electronic mail, and the like have been provided. Since the computer network is ripening and permeating as mentioned above, the number of enterprises and users intending to actively use a sharing of information by using the network is increasing. For example, a working group is arbitrarily formed on the network and useful information, for instance, a data file of a business report such as a weekly report, a monthly report, or the like is transmitted and received among members of the group through the network, thereby efficiently executing the works and improving productivity. On the other hand, electronic information is increasing and an amount of data that is accumulated on the network is very large. Therefore, it will be obviously important in the future that, as various information, data files as a substance are efficiently accumulated, retrieved, and managed on the network.
A groupware in which enterprise users share daily atypical works and a motion such that a database is shared by many and unspecified persons connected to the network by using the Internet, which has recently been realized, are also trials to efficiently use the sharing of information. Although the realization of a network of a computer system in an enterprise is remarkable as mentioned above, actually, the sharing of data cannot be freely accomplished on the network. It is a present situation that information owned by each person is still scattered in each individual computer. Consequently, when the user wants to refer to the data of another person, he copies the data to his own machine through the network and refers to it or executes an additional wiring, a change, or the like and uses again the resultant data. In order to share information, a file server is often provided. However, since a simple file server is not systematically constructed, a management such as addition, updating, deletion, or the like of the file on the server is manually performed, so that it is troublesome.
On the other hand, the groupware is one solution for the enterprise user who desires to realize data sharing. By using the groupware by a working group, the sharing data can be concentratedly managed by one server. Each member can share information by accessing data on the server. For instance, Lotus Corp. (IBM Corp. at present) which is an enterprise as a pioneer of the groupware has already sold two millions or more of groupware products "Notes" in the world. However, there is also a problem in the present groupware. The groupware is inherently means for concentratedly managing the sharing information by one server. Ordinarily, when considering the relation of loads of the server, the number of clients connected to one server is limited to about 100 to 200. When a response of the operation is important, the number of clients decreases more and more. Consequently, the server is divided into a plurality of servers are provided and data to be shared is distributed and arranged.
Problems with respect to the sharing of information on the network will mow be summarized as follows.
(1) Information data is held in a distributed state and is not used. PA1 (2) When the user tries to use the information, the operation is apt to be troublesome. PA1 (3) Even when the groupware or the like is used, there is a limitation for concentration and a distribution of the information inevitably occurs. PA1 The archiver is set to the distribution type and compression and reconstruction are also set to the distribution type. PA1 The archiver is set to the concentration type and the compression and reconstruction are set to the distribution type. PA1 The archiver is set to the distribution type and the compression and reconstruction are set to the concentration type.
Although an approach to realize the data sharing is steadily progressing, in consideration of the present network form in which a concentration and a distribution of information mixedly exist, it is necessary to built a construction in which a load on the network and a load on the server are small and a degree of utilization of sharing data is high.